O75 Public Administration

Australian unemployment drops to 8.4% in May – the lowest since September 2022 (8.1%)

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Jun-23

In May unemployment dropped 0.1% points to 8.4%, according to the latest Roy Morgan employment series data – the fourth straight monthly drop. Unemployment is now at its lowest since COVID-19 restrictions lifted in late 2022. However, there was a rise in under-employment in May, up 0.9% points to 9.8%, to its highest level this year. The rise in under-employment came as part-time employment increased to 4.86 million – a fourth straight month of increases. The rising cost of living, with high inflation and increasing interest rates, are leading to more Australians in part-time employment needing to work more hours to earn a sufficient income. These people in part-time employment looking for more hours are considered under-employed – now nearly 10% of the workforce. Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 8.4% is more than double the ABS estimate of 3.7% for April, and is comparable to the combined ABS unemployment and under-employment figure of 9.8%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

PwC behind 15 schemes to help companies sidestep tax: ATO

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Neil Chenoweth, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 31-May-23

Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan appeared before a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, where he discussed the ongoing PwC tax leaks scandal. Jordan revealed that the Australian Taxation Office had become aware in late 2017 that PwC partner Peter Collins had used confidential Treasury information to develop a large number of schemes to help multinational companies to evade new tax laws. However, he said that outdated secrecy laws had prevented the ATO from informing the Treasury. Jordan also disclosed that the ATO had told the Australian Federal Police about the leaks in 2018. The Treasury recently referred the tax leaks scandal to the AFP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Same job, same pay IR reforms could hit public service

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Geoff Chambers, Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-May-23

The federal government continues to come under scrutiny over its proposed ‘same job, same pay’ policy for labour hire workers. Natalie James, the head of the Department of Employment & Workplace Relations, has told a senate estimates hearing that these laws are likely to cover the public sector. Analysis of AusTender contracts shows that the government has become a major user of labour hire firms, spending more than $1.2bn on such contracts since the federal election in May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

Wesfarmers warns on wages, jobs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Kehoe, Carrie LaFrenz, James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-May-23

Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has told a Senate estimates hearing that there are no signs that a wage-price spiral is emerging in Australia. He added that it is usual for wages growth to accelerate during an upswing in the economic cycle. Meanwhile, Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott has warned that increasing the minimum wage by more than five per cent would deter businesses from investing and taking on additional staff. He adds that other risks to the economy include the federal government’s second tranche of industrial relations reforms and the Victorian government’s payroll tax changes. The Fair Work Commission is slated to announce its decision on the minimum wage increase on Friday.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down 1.1pts to 76.2 – back to the level of two weeks ago in early May

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 31-May-23

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.1pts to 76.2 in the week to 28 May. Consumer Confidence has now spent 13 straight weeks below the mark of 80, the longest stretch below 80 since the index began being conducted on a weekly rather than a monthly basis in October 2008. Consumer Confidence is now 14.5pts below the same week a year ago (90.7), and 3.8pts below the 2023 weekly average of 80.0. Consumer Confidence reversed last week’s results and was down in Victoria, Queensland, WA and SA, but up in NSW. Now 18% of Australians (unchanged) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 53% (up 4ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. Some 29% (down 1ppt) of Australians now expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 35% (down 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Only 7% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 40% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 19% (up 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 54% (up 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

New Zealand: National/Act NZ on 45% are just ahead of Labour/Greens on 43% in May; but neither is set for a majority

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 31-May-23

The latest Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll shows that support for the Labour/Greens coalition government rose 1% points to 43% in May. Support for Labour was up 1% to 31%, while support for the Greens was unchanged at 12%. Support for the National Party was down 0.5% points to 31.5% (its lowest level of support since December 2021), while support for Act NZ was up 1% point to 13.5%. Support for a right-leaning potential National/Act NZ coalition rose 0.5% points to 45%. The results for May continue to show that the New Zealand Election later in 2023 is on a knife-edge, with the crossbench set to determine who will form the next Government. This New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted by telephone – both landline and mobile – with a New Zealand-wide cross-section of 952 electors during May. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating was unchanged at 80 in May, equal to its lowest level since former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigned in January.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND

New IR laws won’t hurt tradies, minister vows

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 25-May-23

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has emphasised that tradespersons and subcontractors in the construction industry will not be significantly affected by the federal government’s second tranche of industrial relations reforms. Burke says the new minimum standards for ’employee-like’ independent contractors will apply only to gig economy workers. His comments have been welcomed by Master Builders Australia’s acting CEO Shaun Schmitke; however, he says the government should make it explicitly clear that the legislation will be limited to gig-economy workers and provide an undertaking to exclude other industries before the legislation is introduced.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Land tax changes won’t drive up rents: Andrews

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Broede Carmody, Rachel Eddie, Jim Malo
The Age – Page: Online : 25-May-23

The Victorian government continues to attract scrutiny over the Covid debt reduction measures in its 23 May budget, which include a land tax on residential investment properties. Premier Daniel Andrews contends that landlords will not seek to recoup the cost of the new tax by increasing their rent charges, although the Centre for Independent Studies’ chief economist Peter Tulip argues that many landlords have relatively thin margins and will need to increase their rents. Treasurer Tim Pallas has indicated that the state government may consider options such as capping rent increases, although he has ruled out a rent freeze. Family homes will be exempt from the land tax.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, THE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES LIMITED

Morrison government paid corrupt businessman millions for offshore processing on Nauru

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ben Doherty, Rafqa Touma
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 25-May-23

The former Coalition government is under scrutiny over its awarding of contracts to provide offshore processing facilities for asylum-seekers on Nauru. The Senate estimates committee has queried why the Coalition had failed to disclose that it had renewed a contract with Mozammil Gulamabbas Bhojani’s Radiance International group after the businessman had been convicted of bribing two Nauru government officials. Radiance’s contract was worth $17.5m, and continued to be paid until May 2022, nearly two years after Bhojani was given a suspended jail sentence. Its initial contract in 2016 was worth $2.5m, and had been disclosed on the AusTender website.

CORPORATES
RADIANCE INTERNATIONAL

Underpayment rife among migrant workers

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom McIlroy, Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 24-May-23

Research from the Grattan Institute has concluded that up to 16 per cent of recent migrants to Australia are being paid less than the minimum wage. This equates to around 82,000 workers; the research also suggests that up to 42,000 recent migrants are being underpaid by at least $3 an hour. Migrant workers were found to be vulnerable to many forms of exploitation apart from wage underpayment, such as unpaid leave, superannuation and penalty rates, cash-back arrangements, racism and sexual harassment. The Institute has made 27 recommendations to protect workers from exploitation.

CORPORATES
GRATTAN INSTITUTE